Writers’ Roundtable: How soon will Walker return and how crucial is this homestand?

Given the way this season is going, DeMar DeRozan and the Spurs probably can’t afford a loss at home next week to the worst-in-the-West Phoenix Suns.

Photo: Christian Petersen /Getty Images

Mike Finger, Jeff McDonald, Tom Orsborn and Nick Talbot weigh in on the latest in sports.

Lonnie Walker appears on the cusp of returning the Spurs. How much should fans expect to see of him early on?

Finger: If those fans live in Cedar Park, they should expect to see him quite a bit, since the bulk of his early action will be with the Austin Spurs as he continues to work himself back into game shape. That said, if he proves he can play a little bit of perimeter defense, he might end up in Gregg Popovich’s regular rotation rather quickly.

McDonald: This is an interesting question, the answer to which will likely hinge on which direction the Spurs’ season takes from here. If the team is in the playoff hunt and still focused on extending its streak of playoff berths, I’m not sure Walker will be much a part of that quest. For a rookie, missing training camp and preseason — not to mention the first two or three months of the season — is a huge setback. If the Spurs are aiming for the playoffs, I see Walker as a player who spends a lot of time in Austin and shows up with the NBA club for spot minutes here and there. But … if the Spurs continue to lose games by darn near 40 points and fall out of the playoff hunt, I wager we’ll see a lot more of Walker in the second half of the season. If the Spurs are still flat-lining come February, it would make a lot of sense to use the end of the season to develop players such as Walker and fellow rookie Chimezie Metu.

Orsborn: Walker put it best last week after a practice with the Austin Spurs when he said, “You got to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run.” His athletic skills are tremendous, but let’s not forget he’ll be just 20 on Dec. 14 and played only one season at Miami before the Spurs selected him 18th overall in June. There’s plenty of work ahead for the kid from Reading, Pa., and he’s sure to experience more downs than ups initially.

Talbot: He will probably be with the Austin Spurs through the rest of 2018 to show he is in shape and ready to go. He missed all of the preseason and more than 20 games. He isn’t going to walk through the door and fit. That said, if the Spurs are out of the playoff race, I would expect San Antonio to put him into the rotation to see if he can be a building block.

The Spurs, who have struggled on the road the past two seasons, have started a six-game homestand. How important is it for them to have a winning record in this stretch?

Finger: If I may channel Popovich when he gets these “how important” questions: It’s very important. If the goal is still to make the playoffs, and considering 14 teams in the Western Conference probably consider themselves in the hunt for those eight spots, it’s probably not wise to waste the parts of the schedule that appear most conducive to success. And this certainly is one.

McDonald: With the way things have been going lately, with the Spurs losing 9 of 13, it’s vitally important for them to get wins no matter where they come. On paper, this homestand should provide an opportunity. There seem to be a few easy wins in there, with Phoenix and Chicago coming to town. But as I’ve been cautioning fans all year on Twitter, this Spurs team is not good enough right now to take any opponent for granted.

Orsborn: I’m with Gregg Popovich in the belief that it’s all about just improving at this stage. It’s way too early to be focusing on playoff seeding. The important thing for this team is to just keep trying to get everyone in sync and to improve defensively.

Talbot: After the blowouts I would list this homestand as crucial. The Spurs have not been good on the road (4-8), so they have to win at home at a high clip. Outside of the 76ers, they aren’t facing any elite teams in this stretch. The Clippers, Jazz and Lakers are good, but beatable. If the Spurs go 2-4 or worse in this stretch and the poor play continues, they will have to start discussing new goals for this season. However, if they can go 4-2 or 5-1, then you are right back in the thick of a Western Conference race where no one seems to be separating.

What is the most crucial game for them in that stretch and why?

Finger: Again, not to sound too much like the Spurs’ head coach, but his team probably isn’t in much of a position to consider any particular game a higher (or lower) priority than others. But three of those six games are against other Western Conference playoff contenders, so each time they beat the Lakers or the Jazz or the Clippers, it has the potential to cause a bigger swing.

McDonald: I sort of mentioned them in a previous answer, but I’d say it is a tie between the Phoenix and Chicago games. The Spurs simply can’t afford to blow games against the worst teams in the league, especially at home.

Orsborn: For those who insist on making a 22nd straight playoff appearance the be-all and end-all to this season, I suppose the games against the Lakers on Dec. 7 and the Jazz on Dec. 9 would be the biggest ones in this stretch. But I’m interested in seeing how they respond against the Blazers and Clippers after losing to those clubs earlier on the road.

Talbot: The easy answer is the Suns and Bulls. Those teams are not good. Those are the must-wins, because they should be wins. Outside of that, the Lakers game seems to stand out the most because it is first. A win over an improving Lakers team could provide the momentum the Spurs need.

John Wall and Bradley Beal are available and the Hornets “could” be looking to trade Kemba Walker. Should the Spurs trade any of their youth to go after a veteran All-Star since LaMarcus Aldridge is 33 and DeMar DeRozan is 29?

Finger: I can’t imagine the Spurs could put together a trade package for Wall or Beal that would make sense for both teams. If anything, it could be argued the Spurs should be adding more youth instead of trading it away. But if you’re looking for a Washington possibility that could make San Antonio better in the short term, even if it’s a long shot to happen, it could be persuading the Wizards they’d be better off with Pau Gasol’s contract than Otto Porter's.

McDonald: Beal and Walker, especially, would be attractive trade targets for any team. I just don’t see a plausible deal the Spurs could put together that would be attractive enough to either Washington or Charlotte to make anything like that happen.

Orsborn: They’ll wisely explore every option as they always have, but I just wonder where this team would be right now if Dejounte Murray had stayed healthy. Besides what he adds on the court as a defender, I really liked what I saw from him during training camp and the preseason in terms of leadership. I guess that’s my way of saying I wouldn’t be looking to shake things up without considering what the future holds with a healthy Murray.

Talbot: The Spurs don’t have salaries to match up with the Wizards for Beal or Wall, although either would be an interesting addition. If the Hornets move Walker, they could get a package of Murray, Mills and Walker. That should get it done. But I am not sure even adding Walker fixes this team’s woes. The real answer would be adding Murray — next season. They need perimeter defense more than they need a third star.